National Book Awards Honor Erdrich’s Fiction, Boo’s Slum

Nov. 15 (Bloomberg) -- It was a good night for women at the
National Book Awards, which were presented in New York
yesterday.

The winner of the nonfiction prize was Katherine Boo for
“Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a
Mumbai Undercity” (Random House).

The fiction prize went to Louise Erdrich for “The Round
House” (Harper).

This came during a year in which a group called VIDA
calculated that a large majority of review space in U.S. media
is devoted to books by male authors.

Erdrich’s novel is about a 13-year-old American Indian boy
who turns into a detective after his mother is raped. Because
she isn’t sure exactly where the attack took place -- it could
have been on the edge of the reservation or just off it -- it’s
possible that the rapist won’t be prosecuted because of problems
with jurisdiction.

Boo’s book explores life in a slum on the outskirts of
Mumbai. In a review for Bloomberg, Nina Mehta says the book
“presents a tiny sliver of life in a giant city. But it’s an
important book that gives permanence to people whose tragedies
and deaths are too easily wiped from the public record.”

In accepting the award, Boo said, “If this prize means
anything, I think it’s this: Small stories and so-called hidden
places matter. Because they implicate and complicate what we
believe is the larger story -- the history of people who have
political and economic power.”

‘Goblin Secrets’

The winner of the award for Young People’s Literature was
William Alexander’s “Goblin Secrets” (Margaret K. McElderry
Books).

The poetry winner was David Ferry for “Bewilderment”
(University of Chicago Press). He accepted with tears in his
eyes, saying that since he was so much older than the other
finalists, he thought the judges might have decided to give him
a “pre-posthumous award.”

The black-tie ceremony, at Cipriani Wall Street, was a
benefit for the National Book Foundation, which promotes writing
and literacy.

Winners receive a bronze sculpture and $10,000, while
nominees receive a medal and $1,000.

Novelist Elmore Leonard received the 2012 Medal for
Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, presented by
Martin Amis, who said “Elmore Leonard is a literary genius who
writes re-readable thrillers.”

‘Writing Stories’

He concluded by saying: “The only thing I ever wanted to
do in my life was have a good time writing stories. This award
tells me I’m still at it.”

The Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the
American Literary Community was given to Arthur O. Sulzberger
Jr., chairman and publisher of the New York Times.

“In the wake of Hurricane Sandy,” Sulzberger said, “many
people were faced with days without power. When our e-readers
and phones ran out of power, we turned to books, reading them by
candlelight. Books will always remain, and they will always be
part of the conversation at the New York Times.”